


The Art of Waiting

by Megara09



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: And Kagome is stuck in the present, F/M, Smut, Some angst, in which the well never opens back, slight AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-16
Updated: 2020-01-16
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:27:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22280743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Megara09/pseuds/Megara09
Summary: When Kagome is suddenly sent back home after banishing the Shikon no Tama, she has high hopes that she'll eventually be able to go back to her friends. That hope slowly wanes as time passes, and she sinks into a deep depression. The sudden appearance of a friend from the past jars her back to reality, and Kagome realizes that maybe she can still have happiness in the present.
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/Kouga
Comments: 13
Kudos: 137





	The Art of Waiting

**Author's Note:**

> I absolutely hate the title haha. If anybody has any better suggestions, feel free to throw them out there. 
> 
> This fic is for the KogKag secret santa exchange on tumblr, gifted to tumblr user Nikkxb! I hope you like it!

Kagome Higurashi smiled contentedly as she walked to school. She was excited to start her new year, even knowing she was going to have to study harder than ever to make good grades. Suddenly, a hand on her shoulder stopped her and she was twirled around to face a man who looked five or six years older than her, staring down at her with shock on his face.

“I can't believe you're alive,” the man said gently, cradling her hand in both of his as though it were a treasure. “How is this possible?” he asked.

Kagome tugged at her hand, alarms going off in her head. “Look, mister, I don't know what's going on, but you've got the wrong girl.”

“I'd know my woman anywhere,” he said confidently, sending her a wolfish grin.

Kagome gasped at his words and finally yanked her hand free, turning and running toward her school, where her friends and teachers would surely protect her from this strange man! She never heard the heartbreak in his voice as he called her name, watching her disappear once again.

........

~~~~~~~~

........

A month later, the incident completely forgotten, Kagome was dragged down the old well on the shrine property and into the past.

Over the next four years, she would meet many people. Some she helped, some she fought, but she used each encounter to grow as a person. Her many adventures and her big heart helped her to defeat the evil hanyou Naraku, as well as the duplicitous Shikon no Tama. However, in doing so, Kagome was catapulted back to her own time without warning, leaving behind the friends and loved ones she'd met in the feudal era.

For the first few weeks, she went back to the wellhouse every day, hoping to feel the tendrils of magic that had beckoned her so many times before. As weeks turned into months and she realized that the well was truly closed, Kagome felt her heart shatter at the thought of never again seeing the friends she had left behind.

Sango, Miroku, and Kirara. Shippo. Kaede. Rin. Even Kohaku. And, most painful of all, Inuyasha.

The hanyou she'd grown with, loved, and secretly committed herself to...suddenly gone and there was no way to reach him.

Kagome sank into a deep depression. She rarely left her room. She would barely speak when her family spoke to her. Her appetite was non-existent, and her will to even move had fled.

Eventually, she became numb to the hurt. She pushed all thoughts of the past from her mind, focusing on just making it through each day. Her mother helped with that task, giving her small jobs around the house or the local community to distract and occupy her. Whether it was a trip to the store or reorganizing the storeroom of the shrine's small token shop, the tasks helped Kagome stay invested in each day.

Around a year after the well had closed, Mrs Higurashi asked Kagome to make a trip to the marketplace for her, to pick up a few groceries for supper for the week. Kagome readily agreed, grabbing a jacket and pausing at the door long enough to slip her shoes on before she was on her way.

The sun shined down on her, warming her face and bringing a happiness to her soul that she hadn't felt in a long time. She relished the sensation and the emotion, bringing a small smile to her face.

Suddenly, a shadow blocked out the sun. Kagome frowned and looked up at a tall man who looked at her as though he'd seen a ghost. She couldn't quite place it, but he looked very familiar...

His low, gravelly voice as he began to speak jogged her memory, but it was his final word that brought the memories flowing back.

“Is it really you, Sis?”

Kagome gasped and recoiled, her mind supplying a name to the face that had changed so much in five hundred years. _ Ginta! _

Looking more closely at him, Kagome realized that she probably wouldn't have recognized him had he not spoken to her. His hair was cut shorter, though it still bore the distinctive tuft of black in the grey. His ears beneath the shorter hair lacked the pointed tips they'd once boasted. And, most jarring of all, he was wearing blue jeans and a black leather jacket. He looked like a biker!

“Ginta?” Kagome asked hesitantly. When his face lit with a bright smile, Kagome knew it was truly her friend. A moment later, he had wrapped his arms around her and was hugging her tightly.

“We never knew what happened to you! Last we heard, you had disappeared after the battle and everyone feared you were...well, dead.”

Tears welled in her eyes as she breathed in the leathery, earthy scent of Ginta. “I was... Oh, it's such a strange story. I'm from this time, but I was able to travel back to..._then_...through a magic well at the shrine. After the battle, after I banished the Shikon no Tama, I ended up here and couldn't make it back through the well.”

Ginta wanted to ask her a million questions about her claims, but he was too thrilled by her very presence to question it overmuch. Instead, he asked one simple question:

“How are you?” He asked it gently, as if he knew how thin of a thread she was hanging on by.

Kagome stifled a sob at Ginta's question, forcing herself to swallow the immediate lump in her throat and actually answer him. She smiled wanly at him, tilting her head as if in contemplation. “I've...been better. I've been worse, too, though, so I guess I can just say...I'm okay.”

Ginta looked down at her with suspicion. She definitely didn't look okay. But she was alive and she was _ here _ and Kouga was going to... Well, if Kouga was smart, he'd be overjoyed.

Kagome bit her lip as she tried to hold in the questions that were begging to be set free. One did manage to get by her clenched teeth, and she regretted it as soon as it left her mouth. “Who all...who all is _ here?” _

When Ginta blinked in surprise, Kagome paled. She realized that she really didn't want to hear the answer to her question, and so she backtracked, figuratively and literally. “Wait,” she cried out as she took a step back and held up both hands, “I don't want to know! I can't...I can't take it.” The last was whispered, almost to herself, as she spun on her heel and darted back the way she had come, headed back to the shrine.

Ginta was left staring after her, dazed by her sudden about-face and the scent of tears she'd left behind her as she ran.

........

~~~~~~~~

........

Hakkaku was lounging on the couch, munching on chips and watching some procedural show on TV, when the front door burst open loudly and a voice began yelling his name. A dart of fear flashed through him, reminding him of the last time they'd been found out and had had to relocate.

His mind whirling with plans and how to pack quickly and leave no trace as he ran toward where Ginta was still hollering like a madman, Hakkaku nearly collided with his life-long friend as Ginta barreled down the hallway.

“What the hell did you do?” Hakkaku asked irately, still assuming that they'd been found out.

“Is Kouga here?” Ginta asked, nearly frantic.

“No, he's still at work. What's going on?” Hakkaku repeated, growing truly worried.

“_Kagome's alive!” _ Ginta nearly shouted, nearly vibrating with an ecstatic energy.

Hakkaku froze, not believing his ears. “What did you say?” he questioned.

“She's _ alive _ and I just spoke to her!” Ginta went on to outline the whole conversation, ending with him staring after her as she ran away. Finished speaking, he worried his hands together. “Do...do we tell him?”

Shaking his head, Hakkaku immediately turned the idea down. “No, you know how he is about this. Ever since that one time...”

Ginta sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I can't believe he's still so worked up about that. So he was mistaken about a girl being her, that means we can't tell him that we actually found Sis?”

“Not yet,” Hakkaku hedged. “You said she was crying when she ran away. What if she doesn't want anything to do with us, or with him?” He shook his head again. “Let's just go talk to her and see what we can find out, okay? I don't want him to get his hopes up.”

With a sad nod, Ginta agreed. “She mentioned a shrine, so we can backtrack from where I saw her, back toward the direction she ran. Surely it won't take long.”

........

~~~~~~~~

........

Kagome could barely see as she ran back to the shrine. Tears obscured her vision as she stumbled and pushed her way past the throngs of people on the streets. Finally, she reached the steps of the shrine and began the arduous climb, made all that much harder by the gasping sobs wracking her body.

Unwilling to go inside and face the inevitable questions from her family, Kagome headed to a spot she saved for the darkest of days.

The door to the wellhouse clacked open loudly, then just as loudly clacked closed. Kagome stumbled down the steps and to the lip of the well, still open now that there was no demonic presence to seal inside. Gramps had tried to seal it back up, but Kagome had nearly had a panic attack at the thought.

Now, she climbed down the side, the old hand-holds coming back to her like muscle memory. At the bottom, she drew her knees to her chest and clutched them tightly, sobbing uncontrollably as the memories of the friends she'd left behind overwhelmed her.

Eventually, the tears slowed and stopped, the sobs quieted to the occasional gasp, and Kagome's weary body slipped into a deep sleep.

Hours later, she awoke to her mother's worried voice calling out her name. With a groan and an internal lament at the soreness in her poor body, Kagome stood and began the climb to exit the well. She stepped from the wellhouse and saw her mother near the steps of the shrine. Calling out, she waved to get her attention. “Mom, I'm over here.”

“Kagome!” her mother cried out. “You were gone for so long! Are you okay?”

Fresh tears tried to spill from Kagome's eyes, but she blinked them away. “I'm fine,” she said, her tone belying the words. “I think I just want to go to my room and go to sleep. I'm not very hungry.”

Mrs Higurashi watched sadly as Kagome walked slowly to the house and disappeared inside, her every instinct as a mother telling her that something major had happened. Sadly, she knew there was nothing she could do if Kagome didn't bring it up.

Out of the corner of her eye, a sudden flash of grey caught her attention. She turned fully in that direction and scowled, thinking it was some hooligans wanting to cause mischief. “I know you're there!” she called out. “Come out, now!”

Smiling sheepishly, two young men appeared from behind the shrine entrance, their body language apologetic but not guilty.

“Who are you, and what do you want here, sneaking around like that?” she asked harshly. She hated to be rude, but too many young people had trashed the shrine for her to take an easy stance.

“Sorry to intrude, ma'am. My name is Ginta, and this is Hakkaku. We...we knew Kagome from _ before.” _ He said the word deliberately, testing her own knowledge of Kagome's past adventures.

“Oh,” she said, her posture changing immediately. “Did you know Inuyasha, then?”

Grimacing at each other, they nodded hesitantly. “We weren't great friends, but we knew him.”

“What brings you boys here?” Mrs Higurashi asked, getting to the heart of the matter.

“Well,” Ginta began, “you see, I ran into Kagome earlier, and she got upset.”

“_An understatement,” _ she thought, nodding at him to continue.

“Our pack thought a lot of Kagome back then, and we wanted to make sure she was okay,” Hakkaku jumped in. “It's been so long since we saw her,” he added, his voice hitching a bit.

Mrs Higurashi sensed the sincerity from the two young men, and it warmed her heart to know that Kagome had had such good friends while she ran about the feudal Japanese countryside. She smiled warmly at the two. “Why don't you two come in for a while, eat supper with us. I'd love to hear more about your time with Kagome.”

Ginta and Hakkaku shared a glance before they nodded and accepted her offer, following her inside.

For the next few hours, they regaled Kagome's family with stories of their time with Kagome – how she'd saved their clan from the Birds of Paradise, their change of lifestyle all due to one human girl, how Kouga had slowly but surely fallen for the girl through her stubbornness and sheer lack of fear of the great wolf demon tribe. Finally, as the humans began to yawn and grow weary, Mrs Higurashi thanked the youkai for their time and their care for her daughter. As she escorted them to the door, she asked for a number to contact them by.

“I left her alone tonight because she's been in such a fragile state since she returned. But I'm sure once she calms down, she'll appreciate a way to get in touch.”

Both boys seemed more than willing to offer up their number, and Mrs Higurashi took it down with a smile. As they left, she thanked them once again. Alone in the kitchen, the worried mother stared at the number in her hand and wondered how this was going to affect Kagome.

........

~~~~~~~~

........

When Kagome woke the next morning, it felt like any other day. The emotional upheaval from the day before seemed like a distant memory, and she was content to keep it that way. She rose at her leisure, took a long shower, and took her time getting ready for the day. She finally made her way downstairs, where her mom was puttering around the kitchen.

“Kagome!” she greeted. “I saved you a plate from breakfast.”

Kagome smiled and accepted the plate, then sat down to eat. Her appetite, as usual, was negligible, but Mrs Higurashi noticed that she ate more than usual. It gave the older woman hope that the previous day's events had sparked a new light inside Kagome.

As she continued to clean and put things away, Mrs Higurashi spoke as casually as she could. “Did you ever make it to the market yesterday?”

Kagome shrugged and said, “I didn't really feel like going.”

Mrs Higurashi sighed and dried her hands off before turning around to face Kagome. “So it had nothing to do with the nice young man who came by last night, wanting to make sure you'd made it home all right?”

Kagome's eyes widened in shock, her heart skipping a beat at the reminder that she really had run into Ginta yesterday. “W-what?”

“He and one of his friends came by after you'd gone to bed. They stayed for supper and told us so many stories of your travels. Oh, Kagome, why didn't you tell me it became so dangerous for you?” Tears welled in her eyes. “I'm so glad you made it back home safely.”

Kagome felt her own eyes well with tears, her heart crying out, _ “But I didn't make it home safely! I'm broken and missing pieces of myself!” _

Before she could speak, her mother continued. “I've seen how much you've struggled since you returned the last time. I can't begin to imagine what you're feeling or going through, but, dear, I think it would be good for you to speak to them. They seemed to truly care for you, and you can never have too many friends.” She reached into her pocket and handed Kagome a piece of paper. “This is a number to contact them with. I think you should call them.”

Kagome's hands shook as she looked down at the numbers, a smile tugging at her lips as she took in the small drawings of Ginta's and Hakkaku's faces, complete with their old hairstyles. She smiled at her mom and clutched the paper like a lifeline as she headed back to her room.

She collapsed onto her bed and hugged her pillow as she let herself cry, her heart hurting with the pain of missing her old friends. 

Sango and Miroku had surely married by now, maybe even had a child. Maybe Kaede had taken an apprentice to pass along her vast knowledge. Kohaku and Rin had probably grown a lot in a year. Shippo had probably learned a dozen new fox magic tricks, ready to spring them on the unwary. 

And Inuyasha. Oh, Inuyasha. His was the most painful to imagine. While Kagome liked to think that maybe he would wait for her forever, it was just as likely that over the last five hundred years he had found some other pretty human woman to marry and have little demi-youkai. Or a full youkai, and their children would be closer to the full youkai that Inuyasha himself had wanted for so long. 

Kagome didn’t know how long she cried, only that her heart didn’t hurt quite as much when she finished. She turned over and lay facing the rest of her room, gaze trailing over the bits and pieces she’d brought home from the past over the years. There was one of Shippo’s trick tops, which he’d disenchanted for her. Sango had given her a small compact of a potent knockout drug, wanting Kagome to be safe in her own time after she’d heard Kagome casually mention how aggressive guys could get. Miroku had found an old tome detailing miko training, which he’d gifted to Kagome so she could have more information than the often-brusque instructions Kaede had given. A dozen other small reminders littered her room, each one sentimental in its own way.

But one in particular caught Kagome’s eye. It was a necklace, hanging with the rest of her jewelry. Kouga had gifted it to her not long before the final battle. He’d taken her aside while Inuyasha had been away from the camp, and his serious manner had concerned Kagome at first. 

_ “I want you to have this, Kagome,” _ he’d said, handing the necklace to her. As she’d taken the large fang on a leather cord, she felt the power strumming through it and asked what it was. Kouga had looked discomfited, even blushing a little as he’d looked away. _ “It’s...well it’s my fang. It’s a symbol for any wolf you come across, that you’re under my protection and that of my pack. From this day on, you’re officially an honorary member of the eastern wolf tribe.” _

Kagome had been taken aback by the gesture. She’d thanked Kouga sincerely, knowing that it was a great honor, especially for a human. She smiled at the memory, and at what had come next. She’d placed the cord securely around her neck and made her way back to camp, where Ginta, Hakkaku, and Sango had taken one look at her and all began to grin. Kouga’s embarrassment had grown and he’d growled at them all to _ just shuddup already _ and plopped down beside the fire. 

Fingers brushing the fang, she smiled sadly at the lack of the familiar aura that had once coursed through it. But maybe, she thought, she could get some of that feeling of security back. She’d been afraid to wonder about the wolf himself in her question to Ginta, but now she wondered. Ginta’s very presence - and apparently Hakkaku’s as well - gave her the feeling that Kouga had made it to the present. Hope blossomed in her chest at the thought of familiar faces and a semblance of the normal she’d grown used to in the past. She looked down at the paper in her hand and the number written on it, opening her phone to dial the string of digits. 

She sat in her chair, lightly spinning back and forth as the phone rang. She’d nearly given up on Ginta answering when the line finally clicked and a voice on the other end greeted her. 

But it wasn’t Ginta. 

Kagome’s breath caught in her chest, her heart stuttering at the sound of a voice she thought she would never hear again. 

On the line, a low growl sounded. _ “Ginta, I swear if you’ve done something wrong again…” _

Before Kouga could finish his threat, Kagome let out an involuntary squeak and slammed her phone shut, disconnecting the call. 

........

~~~~~~~~

........

Kouga frowned at the sound of a phone ringing incessantly. While the pitch had been adjusted for the wolves’ sensitive hearing, it was still annoying. He followed the noise to the living room, digging through couch cushions until he finally found the thing. 

_ “Figures it’s Ginta’s,” _ he thought. His second was always losing phones. Expecting to hear Ginta’s voice, looking for the phone, or perhaps one of the girls he’d dated recently, Kouga accepted the call and said, “Hello?”

Instead of a returned greeting, Kouga heard a gasp on the other line, then silence. He scowled, suspicions raised. He growled lowly and threatened, “Ginta, I swear if you’ve done something wrong again and we have to move, I will…”

He was saved from having to think of a suitable threat when he realized that the line had gone dead. He’d heard a girlish squeak, so maybe it had been one of those girlfriends. Shrugging off the odd encounter, he closed the phone and placed it on the TV stand and went about his day. 

Later that night, as they crowded around the kitchen table to eat, Kouga saw Ginta’s phone lying beside his plate and remembered the odd phone call. “Oh, yeah, Ginta. Some girl called for you earlier.”

Ginta’s face scrunched in confusion. “A girl?” He didn’t remember giving his number to anyone recently… A sudden kick from Hakkaku under the table and a pointed look had Ginta’s eyes widening and his face paling as he realized who had called. Seeing Kouga looking at him oddly, he stumbled through some half-formed excuse about a girl he’d met the day before.

Kouga laughed and nodded, knowing how clingy some girls could get. Matter solved, he finished eating and headed to watch TV. 

Ginta darted from the kitchen, nearly tripping over Kouga as he ran to his room to return Kagome’s call. When she didn’t answer even after multiple tries, Ginta’s heart dropped. He ran back to the main area of the house and had a hushed conversation with Hakkaku, after which the two tore out of the house as though the hounds of hell were nipping at their heels. 

Kouga stared at the door they’d just exited with a growing sense of suspicion. He’d been willing to let the matter go, but Ginta and Hakkaku were just acting too weird. He stood and walked to the window, watching as the thick-as-thieves wolves scurried away. 

He followed quickly, using rooftops to keep above them as they ran across town and up the many stairs of a local shrine. He sneaked closer, watching as they knocked on the back door to the shrinekeeper’s home and were welcomed inside. 

When he crept close enough to the home to hear what was being said, he felt his heart skip a beat as the past five hundred years vanished in a moment. 

........

~~~~~~~~

........

As soon as she hung up the phone that morning, Kagome had holed up in her room, battling her own emotions. She kept swaying back and forth between joy and sorrow. 

Joy was the easy one. Kouga was alive! A close friend from her past was still in the present, someone she could talk with about the feudal era and who would know the ins and outs of the battles they’d fought. 

The sorrow was harder to reconcile. When his deep voice had answered the phone, Kagome had thought of a million things - and not a single one of those had been Inuyasha. 

Was she that fickle? Were her feelings so shallow that they disappeared at a moment’s notice? No, she knew she loved the hanyou. 

But still. Why had hearing Kouga’s voice sent her reeling so far? She hadn’t had such a reaction to Inuyasha since she’d first met him. Maybe that was it! It was a surprise to her, and it had been so long since she’d heard Kouga’s voice that it just took her aback. 

Kagome very carefully did not address the fact that her heart had begun pounding and her face had taken on a light flush as soon as she had heard his growl, something she had up until then only associated with her attraction to Inuyasha. 

Lost in her thoughts and the warring emotions, Kagome didn’t even notice the passage of time. It seemed as though only minutes had passed when, hours later, her mom knocked on the door.

“Kagome, you have some visitors.”

Shaking herself from her thoughts, she called back, “Who is it, Mama?”

“Those nice boys from yesterday. They said it’s very important.”

Kagome frowned and stood, pulling on a sweater over the thin shirt she was wearing. She opened the door to see her mom’s concerned expression. Sending her a reassuring smile, Kagome headed downstairs to find Ginta and Hakkaku standing awkwardly in the family room. 

Ginta’s modern look didn’t faze her, as she’d already seen his new hair and clothes. Hakkaku, however, stopped her short. 

“Hakkaku! Your hair!” she cried. Where once he’d boasted a mohawk, there was now nothing but bare skin. Dressed similarly to Ginta in what Kagome would teasingly refer to as _ biker-chic, _ he was overall more intimidating when passing as a human than he had been in the feudal era with his furs and youkai appearance. 

Hakkaku grinned and rubbed his bald head. “I had that hairstyle for over four hundred years. It was time to change things up,” he said. A moment later, he sobered. “Kagome, we’re sorry about the phone call mishap-”

“Yeah,” Ginta interrupted. “It was my fault. I left my phone at the house when I went out. We were going to tell you, honest. But...well…”

Hakkaku took over once more. “We wanted to make sure both of you were even interested in seeing each other first. Ginta said you weren’t sure you wanted to know who all made it to this time, and Kouga’s still hurt over the last time he saw you and you didn’t even acknowledge him.”

Kagome frowned. “What are you talking about? The last time I saw Kouga was before the final battle, after he lost his jewel shards.”

Ginta and Hakkaku looked at each other and then back to Kagome. “You don’t...remember?” Hakkaku asked.

“Kouga said he found you here a few years ago and tried to talk to you, but you acted like he was a creep and ran away,” Hakkaku said hesitantly.

“He sulked for months,” Ginta added helpfully.

Kagome searched her memory for anything similar to what the two were describing. A moment later she gasped, having remembered. “I think I know what you’re talking about! I was headed to school and some guy stopped me on the sidewalk, grabbed my hand, and started talking to me like I was a long-lost love.”

Although, looking back, Kagome supposed that, to Kouga, that had been the exact situation. Shaking her head, she continued speaking. “It freaked me out because I honestly didn’t know who it was. That was...I think a month or so before I visited the past for the first time.”

........

~~~~~~~~

........

From where he was crouched, Kouga heard the whole conversation. Ginta’s comment about sulking nearly had him snarling, but he held it in by a thread. Kagome’s explanation for why she’d run away from him that time made sense, and it almost prompted Kouga to abandon his hiding spot and reveal himself to her. 

Her next words, however, froze him in his spot. He could hear the pain and conflict in her voice as she spoke, but her words still lanced his already-wounded heart.

“Can you guys...not tell him you’ve found me? I’m just… Oh, I feel bad for even saying this, but I don’t think I’m ready to see him.”

Gritting his teeth against the almost physical pain, Kouga gathered his strength and leapt away a moment later, his anguish powering the jump that took him out of range of Kagome’s next words.

........

~~~~~~~~

........

“But Sis, he really would like to know you’re alive,” hedged Hakkaku. He really hated hiding things from Kouga. 

“It won’t be forever, I promise. It’s just… I’ve been struggling so much with being forced back here, without even be able to say goodbye to anyone. I haven’t been myself. I think I need to work on getting back to me before I’m ready to see anyone else.” Kagome worried the hem of her sweater, debating how much to say to Kouga’s best friends. She didn’t want to give them - or him - false hope. “He was such a good friend back then. He deserves more than a half-hearted reunion where I’m too busy trying not to cry about the friends I left behind and can’t focus on spending time with one who’s here.”

Ginta and Hakkaku sighed and dropped their heads, knowing Kagome was right. Even if she didn’t hold the kind of love for Kouga that the wolf prince wished she did, at least she wanted to be wholly there when they did meet again. 

“I guess we can try to keep it from him,” Ginta finally agreed. “But not forever! He’s scary when he finds out you’ve been lying.” A shudder accompanied his words, no doubt a reaction to personal experience with said scariness. 

Kagome smiled and nodded happily. “Not forever. Just give me some time. I promise, I do actually want to see him again.”

It never occurred to her to question why she felt so strongly about wanting to be more of her old self when she finally did see Kouga again. 

........

~~~~~~~~

........

Over the next few months, Ginta and Hakkaku spent most of their free time at the shrine, visiting with Kagome. Kouga, knowing exactly where they went but unwilling to confront them about it, allowed them their secret visits. He did, however, bark at them more often than normal, losing his temper and yelling sooner than he usually did. 

Kagome, now with an actual goal, began to make strides into overcoming the emotional wounds she had let fester for so long. She began to accept the loss of the friends she’d made in the past, helped along by the tidbits of information she asked for from the two wolves. 

While they hadn’t really spent a lot of time around the Inu-tachi after she’d left, they were able to fill her in on some things. 

Sango and Miroku had indeed married, and they’d had six children. Kagome wanted to be surprised at the number, but knowing Miroku’s lecherousness, she really wasn’t. 

Rin, the little girl Sesshomaru had taken in, had begun studying under Kaede, eventually becoming the village’s new miko once the elder woman had passed. While it hurt to hear of Kaede’s passing, Kagome was shocked to hear that she’d been well into her seventies when it finally happened. 

Sesshomaru himself was still alive, having taken on the guise of a businessman. Hakkaku confided that it was mostly thanks to the daiyoukai’s help that the wolf demon tribe was still around. He had warned Kouga long ago to begin assimilating into human culture, knowing that it was only a matter of time before the humans who bred like cockroaches would become the majority. 

While it disappointed her, the two never mentioned Shippo, and Kagome never asked. She couldn’t bear it if the little kit she’d taken in and cared for had died somewhere along the last five hundred years. 

Her fears were dashed, however, by a surprise visit from the kitsune himself. 

Kagome cried and clutched Shippo to her, uncaring that the kitsune was now taller than herself. It was an emotional day for both parties, but Kagome was so thankful that Ginta and Hakkaku had called Shippo and asked him to come. They talked for hours, holed up in Kagome’s bedroom. 

Shippo filled in the blanks that Ginta and Hakkaku had left in the past. Sango and Miroku had begun a new taijiya village, and Miroku had taught his houshi ways to those who showed any aptitude for the art. Kohaku, after traveling with Sesshomaru for a short while, had returned to Kaede’s village. He had gone with Sango and Miroku to help establish their village, but had returned as quickly as he could. 

Kagome was floored when Shippo informed her that he and Rin had married soon after Rin had reached twenty years of age. They would have married sooner, he confided, but Sesshomaru threatened Kohaku’s life if they wed too soon.

The two had gone on to have a few children, and they had lived well into old age. While she had never known either of them very well, it still saddened her to know that they were long-dead.

The only name Kagome had yet to utter was the one name she was most desperate to hear about, but fear stayed her tongue. Shippo took pity on her eventually, slipping it casually into their conversation that Inuyasha was still alive, living in Europe, and - surprisingly - helping run the business that Sesshomaru had built.

Her heart jolted at the mention of his name, but hurt came swift on the heels of her joy. _ “If he’s still alive...why hasn’t he come to see me?” _ she wondered sadly. Deciding to ask the one person who may know, she bit her lip and asked softly, “Did he...not want to see me? Is that why he’s never come to find me?”

Shippo’s heart hurt for Kagome, hearing the hurt in her voice as she spoke. Unfortunately, he didn’t have an answer for her. “I honestly don’t know why,” he admitted. “After you disappeared, he kept going back to the well every day for about a month. After that, he got so angry all the time. Any time we spoke about you or even said your name, he’d fly into a rage and disappear for days. Eventually, we stopped talking about you when he was around.”

Shippo smiled and leaned back against the wall. “That’s actually why I left. About a year after it happened, Inuyasha heard me talking to Sango about how much I missed you. He grabbed me by the neck and threw me as hard as he could, or that’s what it felt like. Kirara saved me, transformed into her big form, and actually challenged him, if you can believe it. I laid low for a few days, and Kouga happened to stop by to see if we’d heard anything about you. I told him what happened and he offered to take me in.”

Kagome felt anger course through her at Inuyasha’s treatment of Shippo, but she felt a warmth in her heart when she learned that Kouga had taken him in. Of course he had, she mused. Kouga was nothing if not a pack-oriented youkai, and she said as much to Shippo. 

The kitsune grinned at her, his fangs glinting in the artificial lighting. “They never stopped thinking of you as Kouga’s intended, so I got some pretty preferential treatment. They saw me as your kit, and you were supposedly Kouga’s. Kouga never said otherwise, and he made sure I was taken care of. For the first few years, until I started growing, he let me stay in his den with him to make sure the wolf pups and bigger wolves never tried to make a meal of me.”

Having already felt a growing fondness for Kouga, this latest revelation had Kagome’s heart nearly bursting with emotion directed at the wolf. She’d never imagined that Kouga would go so far to keep Shippo safe, especially when she’d never accepted his claim on her. To have taken in the kit she loved almost as her own… It was almost too much for Kagome to process. 

Shippo, having grown up around the wolves and having seen Kouga’s dedication to Kagome firsthand, was enjoying letting Kagome see just how much they had done for him since her disappearance. Maybe it was his own personal agenda, wanting the wolf youkai who had helped him become the man he was today find love with the one he’d waited so long for, but Shippo couldn’t help telling Kagome more stories where Kouga was painted in a heroic light. 

His tales lasted late into the night. It was past midnight when Mrs Higurashi knocked softly on the door and peeked in, only to find the two fast asleep, hands clasped tightly across the expanse of floor where they lay. She smiled, knowing how much it meant to Kagome to have the not-so-little kitsune back in her life. Kagome had cried out Shippo’s name many times during the night in the first few months after her return, caught in nightmares and unable to wake.

Now, Mrs Higurashi quietly backed away and shut the door once more, leaving the two to sleep. 

........

~~~~~~~~

........

Early the next morning, Shippo’s phone began to ring. He groaned and patted his pockets, fumbling for the device without opening his eyes. “‘Lo?” he mumbled.

“Hey, kid. You good? The numbskulls said you were back, but you didn’t stay here last night.”

“Yeah, I’m fine, Kouga,” Shippo said, more awake now. He grunted as he sat up and scooted to lean against the bedframe. “Just...visiting an old friend.” Shippo was not dumb, and based on Kouga’s apparent behaviour the last few weeks, he knew that Kouga was more than aware of what Shippo wasn’t saying.

Sure enough, he went quiet for a moment before he spoke again, his voice gruff and low. “Everything okay?”

Shippo smiled as he looked down at Kagome, still asleep. “Better than ever. Like we were never separated,” he said softly.

Kouga cleared his throat, happy for Shippo but jealous as hell at the same time. “That’s good, Shippo.”

Before they could say anything further, Kagome stretched and began to wake up. “Hey, I’ve gotta go,” Shippo said, “but I’ll be home soon.” 

Kagome blinked her eyes open just as Shippo was closing his phone, and she asked if everything was okay.

“Yeah, Kouga was just worried since I didn’t come home. Old habits die hard, even if the pack is more spread out than it used to be.”

Kagome turned away at the mention of Kouga’s name, biting her lip.

Shippo sighed and stared hard at her. “Why don’t you just see him, Kagome? You get sad every time I mention his name, like you miss him.”

“I do miss him!” she cried out. Burying her face in her hands, she let out a sound of utter frustration. “I don’t understand why, but I’m..._terrified _ of seeing him again.” 

The smell of salt hit the air, tinging the air with sadness. Shippo knew the scent well from all the times Inuyasha had made Kagome cry. He scooted closer and rested a hand on Kagome’s shoulder. “I think I know why,” he whispered.

Kagome looked up at him, tears dotting the edges of her lashes. “Y-you do?”

“Kagome, I think you like him. Like, _ like _ him.You always cared so much about everyone, but Kouga was always a little different. You put up with a lot from him that you didn’t let anyone else get away with, not even Inuyasha.”

Her eyes widening in shock, Kagome couldn’t speak to rebut what Shippo said. Her mouth opened but no sound emerged. 

Shippo laughed at her gobsmacked reaction. “You don’t have to say anything, just think about it. He’d really love to see you,” he said softly. “He’s also a worrywart, so I better get going. I’ve been away for a few months, and he likes to personally see pack members when they get back. Such a control freak,” he joked.

He stood and reached for the door but paused, looking back at her. “It’s totally your call, Kagome. But I can promise you that he’s the same person he was back then.”

Kagome gasped, wanting to ask Shippo how he knew that she had feared just that. If Inuyasha had changed so much that he didn’t even want to see her, how much could Kouga have changed? Before she could get the words out, Shippo was gone.

........

~~~~~~~~

........

Ever since he’d discovered that Kagome was _ his _ Kagome, not the bright-faced youth he’d attempted to reunite with so long ago, Kouga had fought his every instinct to go to her. For half a millennia, he’d thought she was dead. The interaction from five years prior had hurt him, making him think that he’d been so unimportant to his woman that she’d completely forgotten him.

Her explanation to Ginta and Hakkaku had made sense, and he hadn’t sensed any deception from her that night. 

But the continued silence and lack of contact from her, knowing that _ she _ knew he was around, hurt more than that painful encounter. But, he had to respect her wishes. It may kill him, but Kouga was a wolf of his word. 

He’d been tempted to call the mutt, to let him know that Kagome was alive and well. But something Shippo had said the last time they’d spoken had kept him from dialing up the hanyou.

_ “He used to visit this era, back when Kagome could travel between times. He knew when and where to look for her, but he never did.” _

On the one hand, it pissed Kouga off that Inuyasha had let her drown in pain and sorrow for missing him and had done nothing to help her - he could have been waiting on this side of the well when she was pulled back! But on the other hand, it gave Kouga a chance that he’d been praying for since he’d first realized what an amazing woman Kagome was. 

Now, after talking to Shippo and having confirmation that she truly was the girl he’d been enamored with for so long, it was even harder to give her the time she needed. 

As he sat in his favorite chair in the living room, staring at a blank TV screen, he heard the front door open. A moment later, keys clanged onto the table by the door and Shippo called out. 

“I’m home! Anybody here?” the kitsune bellowed.

Kouga grinned, loving that he’d gotten the timid little kit past his nervousness and made him more of a wolf than a fox. “In here!” Kouga called back. He waited for Shippo to make his way through the house, but the scent clinging to the kitsune had his heart skipping a beat.

Vanilla and sugar, just like Kagome used to smell. But the salt that tinged her scent had Kouga’s claws digging into the arm of his chair. He’d scented her tears often enough, her tender heart pricked by Inuyasha’s often-gruff words

Shippo entered the room and saw Kouga’s tense posture and flaring nostrils. “Sorry, I should have changed first.”

Kouga immediately shook his head. “No, it’s fine. Just instincts, you know.” Having been deprived of Kagome’s scent for five hundred years, the surge of protective instincts to comfort was well worth the chance to breathe in her scent. Even since the first day he’d met her, that scent had had a calming effect on him.

Of course, that didn’t mean that he wasn’t chomping at the bit to tear off in her direction, pack instinct hammering at him to find the cause of her anguish and take care of it. 

Trying to distract himself, he turned his attention back to Shippo, who had settled in an armchair a few feet away. “So, how was she?”

“She’s great,” Shippo said with a smile. “It was so weird seeing her, looking exactly the same as I remember. She’s short!” he exclaimed.

Kouga laughed, casting his memory back to the day a few years ago, when she’d been even shorter than the young woman that Shippo remembered. “Yeah, she’s not very tall. She always made up for it in her spitfire attitude, though. You know, I’d never been slapped before her. Been in countless fights, but nobody had ever open-handed slapped me.”

Shippo laughed and shook his head, still able to recall the look on Kouga’s face as Kagome had stalked away after slapping him. He sobered a moment later. “I know it’s rough on you, but I think she’s coming around. She does want to see you, she’s just scared. I think...I think she’s built it up in her mind, reuniting with everyone, and she doesn’t want to be disappointed or get hurt again.”

Kouga nodded, though his mind was racing as he wondered what he could do to make sure their first time seeing each other in the present lived up to any of her expectations. Shippo looked over and saw the intent expression on Kouga’s face, amusement filling him as he imagined the crazy thoughts running through the wolf’s head. 

........

~~~~~~~~

........

Despite the distraction of trying to perfectly plan a reunion with Kagome, Kouga was able to carry on with his day. His work day was...less than productive, but he was mostly there for moral support and to show his dedication to the company. 

In his attempt to be productive, Kouga ended up staying later than normal. He arrived home well past dark, and he walked inside to find Ginta, Hakkaku, and Shippo gathered in the kitchen. 

The smell of something burning hit him as soon as he walked inside. With a heavy sigh, he tossed his keys onto the table and made his way to the kitchen. “What did I tell you guys about burning the house down?”

Three voices called back as one, “To make sure it looks like an accident.”

Kouga rolled his eyes. “Wait at least a decade since the last time.” He turned the corner to find Hakkaku standing at the stove, stirring something that looked and smelled - at the very least - inedible. “Guys, what the hell even is that?”

“It’s some sort of curry. I had it a few weeks ago at...a friend’s house, and I wanted to try it. It was really good!” Hakkaku claimed. 

Kouga made a face of disbelief. “You guys enjoy that. I think I’m gonna just call in a pizza.” With a tired groan, he sank onto one of the chairs at the small table against the wall. 

“Long day?” Shippo asked. 

“Lots of bullshit,” he replied. “Is it so hard for humans to think for themselves?” he asked rhetorically. 

Unbidden, a memory of Kagome and her headstrong tendencies flashed across his mind. “Most humans,” he amended softly. 

Lost in thoughts of Kagome and how she’d always gone against what he expected from her, Kouga almost didn't hear Ginta’s phone ringing. 

Ginta checked the name of the caller and stepped out back to answer it. 

Kouga snorted. “I’m impressed he hasn’t lost that thing again.”

Shippo laughed. “Remember the time he left one at that girl’s house and had to try and sneak in to get it back? She tried to take a baseball bat to him!”

“And he felt so guilty that he ended up dating her for another month before he finally broke it off.”

“Idiot,” Kouga said fondly. 

Ginta came back inside just then, a grin on his face. “I’ve got to go somewhere real quick. Hey, Kouga, can I borrow the car?”

“Do you swear on your life that you won’t wreck it again?” Kouga asked, finally looking at his second.

Ginta nodded vigorously. “I swear!”

With a shrug, Kouga agreed. “Okay. Keys are by the door.”

“Thanks, Kouga!” he called as he ran for the door.

Soon after he left, Kouga stood with a groan and headed to his room to shower and change clothes. The heat helped take the stiffness from his shoulders, a consequence of hunching over his desk all day. Once showered and dry, he dressed and headed back downstairs to call in that pizza he’d spoken of earlier. 

Just as he reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard the car pull into the garage as Ginta returned. Hearing two car doors slam shut, he paused. Only a few feet away from the door, Kouga could hear the low tones of Ginta’s voice and the higher tones of a female as they spoke in a near-whisper. 

Forcing himself to move and not hover at the doorway like a mother hen, Kouga headed back to the kitchen. He had just settled back into his seat when the door opened and Ginta and his guest entered the house. 

As the first strains of their scents reached him, Kouga felt time stand still. He didn’t remember standing or leaving the kitchen, but suddenly he was in the entryway to the house, staring at a girl he thought he’d never see again. 

There were tears in her eyes as Kagome smiled at him and said softly, “Hi, Kouga.”

At the first sound of her voice, Kouga’s knees went weak, nearly sending him to the floor. Once he was sure he wouldn’t faceplant on his first step, he quickly crossed the room and wrapped Kagome in a gentle embrace. Her arms slid around his waist, fingers clutching his shirt like a lifeline as her tears finally fell. 

“Hey, don’t cry,” Kouga said thickly, his own emotions wreaking havoc on his voice. “I can’t be making my woman cry the first time I see her in so long,” he teased, hoping to cheer her with the longtime claim. 

Instead of laughing, Kagome held him tighter as her tears came faster. Kouga tightened his own grip on her, cradling her head to his chest with one hand as the other brought her upper half closer to his own. Tears pricked his eyes, which he allowed to fall, unashamed of the emotion. 

“I’m so glad you’re okay, Kagome,” he said finally. “After you disappeared, I was so afraid something had happened to you.”

“Something did!” she cried. Unsure where the words came from, she continued. “I was lost and you weren’t there. You said you’d always be there for me!”

At this point, Ginta left them alone. He headed back to the kitchen, where he and the other two quietly left through the back door to give Kouga and Kagome privacy. 

Back in the foyer, Kouga felt Kagome’s words like knives in his heart. “I know I did, and I’m so sorry. I looked everywhere for you, until Shippo said you’d gone back to this time. I even- I even tried to go down the well at one point,” he confided. 

Both overcome with the emotion of reuniting after so long, they simply stood and held each other for a long while. Eventually, Kagome’s tears dried and she shakily exhaled before squeezing Kouga one last time and stepping back a bit. 

She looked at him, studying him for the first time. “You cut your hair,” was the first thing she said, shock coloring her tone. 

Kouga barked a laugh and shook his head. “Nah, it’s just a glamour. Shippo's come a long way with his illusions over the years.” He slid a necklace from under his shirt and slipped it over his head, letting the chain slip through his fingers and hit the table to his side. 

As soon as it left contact with his skin, Kouga’s long hair and pointed ears were back in their full glory. Motion behind him drew Kagome’s attention, and she let out a squeak of surprise when she saw a tail swishing back and forth. 

“You have a tail?” she demanded. “I always thought it was part of your furs!”

“Yeah, I do. It’s a bitch to accommodate in modern clothes sometimes,” he admitted. 

Kagome laughed and stepped closer to him, fingers automatically reaching up to brush against his ears and through his ponytail. Shudders went through him at her actions, drawing a laugh. “Sensitive?”

Kouga, struggling to stay still, let out a hoarse, “Definitely,” as his instincts raged at him to return the caresses. When her hand drifted down to presumably stroke his tail, Kouga let out a choked noise and quickly grabbed her hand. “That’s...ahh...off-limits,” he said with a strained smile.

Kagome frowned. “Did I do something wrong?” she asked. “Inuyasha always let me touch his ears, and Shippo never complained about me touching his tail.”

Blushing, Kouga looked away. “Wolves are...different. We’re very physical, and while the ears and hair are fine for regular pack, tails are for mates only.”

Kagome turned beet-red and tugged her hand back, bringing both hands up to cover the redness on her cheeks. “I’m so sorry!” she squeaked.

Once she stopped touching him, some of Kouga’s brainpower returned. He grinned and ruffled her bangs. “It’s okay, just keep it in mind. You try to touch it again and I may just assume my claim is returned, though.”

To Kagome’s shock, his words were not met with the fond exasperation that she’d always felt in the past. Instead, she felt a heat course through her that felt like...anticipation. Her heart skipped a beat as the heat licked through her.

Kouga froze as the bare hint of spiciness flitted through Kagome’s scent. His eyes widened in shock as he glanced at her, taking in the flush on her cheeks and the barely-noticeable increase in her breathing rate. 

_ “Huh. That’s...new,” _ he thought to himself.

Trying to get herself back to their conversation, Kagome mentally shook herself and cast about for something to say. “So, how did you end up here?” As soon as the words crossed her lips, she wanted to smack herself. That’s all she could come up with?!

Kouga grinned at the grimace Kagome gave after her question, but answered anyway. “Well, after you came back here, we tried to get on with things. Went back to our old way of life, before Naraku - without the eating humans thing, of course,” he was quick to reassure her. He led her to the couch and they sat before he continued. “About a hundred years after that, we noticed that the humans’ numbers kept rising, while youkai were staying the same or even decreasing in number. It was actually Sesshomaru who saved us,” he admitted.

Kagome choked on air. “W-what?!” Hakkaku had said something to that effect, but she hadn’t really believed him. 

Laughing, Kouga nodded. “Right? He approached us one day and we met as youkai Lords, very respectful thing,” he said with a mock-serious face. “Anyway, he said that he was going as underground as he could while still being present in his lands, and he suggested we do the same. He had a shaman who was going to help him hide his youkai appearance, and he offered to extend that to us. But Shippo busted in and said he was going to do it for us. He’d been working on his illusions, and he’d learned how to attach them to objects. Hence the necklace. So, we hid and tried to blend in, even made us an actual village not far from where that old miko lived. When technology started booming, we tried to get ahead. You actually helped with that.”

“I did?” Kagome wasn’t sure how she could have helped, but she was glad for it. 

“Yeah, you always talked about phones and flashlights and iPods. So anything that I’d ever heard you mention, we invested in it. Earned money by working construction and layman jobs until we had enough to buy shares in whatever it was - Sesshomaru helped us get into stocks and stuff - and now we only work for the appearance of it.”

Kagome didn’t know what to say. She laughed incredulously and finally said, “So you’re rich?”

“Loaded, baby!” Kouga joked, but he felt a sense of pride at knowing he could provide whatever Kagome needed and never think twice about it. 

Suddenly, Kagome grew somber once again. “Kouga, I’m so sorry for before, when you tried to speak to me. I hadn’t been to the past yet, so I honestly didn’t know you!”

Kouga waved off the apology. “It’s fine, I promise. I’m sorry I never tried to find you again. If I’d been there when you first came back…”

Tears sprang to Kagome’s eyes, and she suddenly wished he had been there that first day back. “Ahh, I keep crying,” she complained with a huff of laughter.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Kouga reassured her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer, guiding her to lean her head on his shoulder.”You can cry on me anytime.”

His words had the desired effect of making Kagome laugh, and they sat in companionable silence for a long time. Kouga looked down at her, words on the tip of his tongue, when he noticed that Kagome had fallen asleep. Warmth bloomed in his chest at the show of trust, and he leaned his head on hers for a long moment. Maneuvering smoothly, he picked Kagome up and carried her to his bedroom, gently laying her on top of the covers. He pulled a blanket from the closet and draped it over her, watching her peaceful face for a moment before he resolutely turned and headed downstairs. 

The couch wasn’t all that comfortable, but the knowledge that Kagome was safe in his bed was well worth the discomfort.

........

~~~~~~~~

........

Kagome woke the next morning feeling more rested than she had in longer than she cared to admit. She stretched languorously and smiled when a whiff of Kouga’s scent reached her nose. With a silly grin, she buried her face into his pillow and took a deep breath. Then, feeling embarrassed, she quickly looked around to make sure she was alone. 

All she saw was a neatly cleaned and sparsely decorated space. What few photos or paintings were on the walls were obviously ones that meant a lot to Kouga. Ones of him and Ginta, Hakkaku, and Shippo. One that looked to be quite old showed a large group of men and women in the furs that Kagome remembered, leading her to believe this was - at that time - what was left of the Eastern wolf tribe. 

Not wanting to nose too far into Kouga’s private space, she folded the blanket she’d woken up wrapped in and headed down the stairs. 

She heard laughter as she reached the bottom of the staircase and she followed the sounds to the living room, where all four of the men who apparently lived here were gathered around the TV. “Hey, guys,” she greeted, lifting a hand in a small wave. 

Kouga’s eyes lit up as she appeared. He hopped up, nearly tripping over himself in his hurry to stand. “Hey, how did you sleep?” he asked softly, nonchalantly kicking the closest laughing asshole. 

Shippo tried to hide his amusement at Kouga’s return to awkwardness around Kagome. Ginta and Hakkaku made no such effort. They guffawed loudly, and Hakkaku pouted when Kouga’s booted foot connected sharply with his shin. 

Kagome smiled at Kouga’s question, as well as his eagerness. It reminded her of the past, when he’d tried everything he could to win her affections. Odd, she thought, how endearing it had been then; now, though, it sent tendrils of warmth through her body. “I slept great,” she finally said. “Your bed is really comfy!”

When the other three males made no attempt to hide their laughter at her words, Kagome blushed and tried to backtrack. Waving her hands as if to ward off their naughty thoughts, she cried, “I didn’t mean it like that!”

Kouga growled at the idiots, stalking forward to wrap an arm around Kagome’s shoulders. “Ah, don’t mind them,” he said lightly. “They’re just mad because I’m taking you out to breakfast and they don’t get to tag along.”

“Breakfast?” Kagome echoed, looking up at him with those luminous eyes that had captured his attention so many times before. 

“Yeah, breakfast! I can’t send you home on an empty stomach and, I hate to admit it, but none of us can really cook.” The last was said almost conspiratorially, but Kagome knew the others heard his words. 

“Hey!” they protested.

Kouga ignored them as he continued to steer Kagome toward the garage and into his car. 

........

~~~~~~~~

........

Shippo watched Kouga herd Kagome into the garage and grinned as he watched Kagome blush at his shuffling of her person.

Hakkaku watched them with a bemused expression as he wondered aloud, “I wonder if he’s going to actually do it this time.”

“Do what?” Ginta questioned curiously.

“Win her over.”

Shippo closed his eyes and leaned his head back, smiling serenely. “Fellas, it’s already a done deal,” he said confidently, refusing to say more when the wolves pestered him for an explanation.

........

~~~~~~~~

........

As they pulled out into the road, he glanced at her. “Any special requests?”

Kagome thought for a moment. “There’s a great little cafe over by the shopping center?” she suggested. “I’ve never been inside, but the pastries all look amazing from the window.”

With a smile in her direction, Kouga turned toward the shopping center and casually reached over to rest his hand on the gear shift. He startled a moment later when Kagome reached over and gently touched the back of his hand. 

“I’m sorry I made it awkward with what I said,” she apologized. 

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” he quickly assured her. “They’re just immature brats who like to yank my chain whenever they can. Honestly, I’m sorry they did it at your expense.”

Kagome waved him off. “It’s fine. It was embarrassing, but definitely a lesson learned: don’t say anything in the least bit suggestive around those three.”

Kouga laughed, wiggling his pinky finger to brush against Kagome’s wrist. “Probably a good rule of thumb.”

They lapsed into silence, and Kouga was intimately aware of the fact that Kagome hadn’t moved her hand from atop his. He felt disappointed when they finally reached the cafe, since that meant she wouldn’t have a reason to touch him anymore. To his surprise and joy, she wrapped her arms around one of his as they walked to the entrance of the cafe, her body tucked closely to his as she shivered from the slight chill in the air. 

Once inside, they found a table near the back of the room. Kouga studied Kagome as she studied the menu, happy beyond words at the time he was able to spend with her once more. He saw her worrying her lip, eyes darting between items on the menu, and he suddenly realized she was studying the prices of each item. 

“Hey, don’t worry about how much it costs. I told you, I’m more than capable of affording this. Please, get whatever you want.”

Kagome bit her lip as she glanced up at him, taking in his earnest expression. After a few moments, she nodded reluctantly. Ignoring his satisfied grin, she said quickly, “I’ll pay you back! Or I’ll buy next time. Something.”

Still grinning happily, he readily agreed - with no intentions of letting her do either. Just then, the waitress returned to take their order. Kouga was glad when Kagome ordered something substantial, instead of a less-filling but cheaper option. His own order was nearly twice the amount of food as Kagome’s, and her eyes widened as he continued to list things to the waitress. After she left to put their order in, Kouga laughed at Kagome’s wide-eyed expression.

“What?” he asked. “I’m a grown wolf! Gotta pack on the calories to keep up my strength.”

Kagome laughed at his joke, having missed his sense of humor. As she mused on how much more adult and refined he seemed than before, Kouga raised a brow at her and asked what she was thinking. She shook her head with a small smile. “Just...wondering how you got...here, is all. You’ve changed so much, but yet you’re still the same as you were.”

One hand reached up to awkwardly rub at the back of his head while Kouga thought of how to answer. “I just...had to adapt. Once the...erm...locals started to crowd us, our way of life wasn’t as feasible. So we adapted as best we could. Somebody would slip up every once in a while and we’d have to move around for a while, but it was easy enough. Finding work was simple - we just asked around for jobs that required heavy lifting and stuff like that. There’s one kid - one of the youngest in the pack - who makes a damn decent living as a bike messenger because he can pedal so fast.”

Before he could say more, their food arrived. Kouga was glad for the interruption. It was hard to talk about the past with Kagome, if only because he had spent so many of those years mourning her. 

Silent but for the murmured appreciations of their food, the two enjoyed their meal. Once they’d finished and Kouga had paid, he suggested taking a walk. Kagome accepted with another of her brilliant smiles, easily tucking her arm into his as they set out. 

He led her around his favorite areas, pointing out food places, the best markets to buy certain products from, a few youkai-friendly businesses, and even the homes of a few youkai he knew. 

“See that tall building there?” he asked. At her positive reply, he pointed to the very top. “That penthouse is where Sesshomaru lives, in case you ever need help on this side of town.”

He didn’t tell her that Inuyasha also had a set of rooms just underneath his half brother’s, for the rare times the hanyou came back to Japan. While he knew he would have to talk about the mutt one day, he didn’t want to ruin such a great outing with mention of him. 

Instead, he steered her down a few more streets, pointing out the various houses that the scattered Eastern wolves now lived in. 

One in particular, a small blue house with white shutters and a literal white picket fence, gave him pause, but he continued on. “That one is where Ayame lives. She’s had that house since the mid-1800s. Passed down, of course, to ‘daughters’ and ‘granddaughters’ through the years.”

Kagome looked at the house curiously, trying to push down the sudden insecurity that snapped at her. “Did she ever give up on you?” she asked, sending him a cheeky expression.

Kouga, though, grimaced slightly. An unknown emotion lanced through Kagome’s heart as she waited for him to speak. 

“Well, the thing is...about a hundred years after you left, Ayame and I tried...dating.”

Kagome blinked. “Dating?” she repeated.

“Yeah. She’d come over to our village and we’d go for walks or go out hunting together. I thought… I thought it was enough time, for both of us. She needed to grow up and I...I needed to get over you.” Kouga couldn’t look at Kagome as he said the words, but he continued either way. “We stayed together for about a year - until her first heat with us as a couple. She wanted to spend it with me...”

Kagome bit her lip, now recognizing the feeling in her chest. A heartache much like the first time she’d seen Inuyasha and Kikyo together.

Kouga sighed and ran a hand through his bangs. “I couldn’t do it, and she got so mad she didn’t speak to me for decades. She had grown into a beautiful woman, and she was smart and funny and so damn tough that some of my toughest warriors were scared of her. But-” He turned to face her, gently tipping her chin up to meet his earnest gaze. “-she wasn’t you, Kagome.”

Tears welled in Kagome’s eyes as a lump formed in her throat. She was saved from having to form a reply by Kouga continuing to speak. 

“I’m not going to start spouting off about love and you being my woman this time, I promise,” he said, jarring a startled laugh from her. “I do want to get to know you again, though. Properly this time. And...if you’ll have me, I’d like to date you.”

Kagome felt the tears brimming over and tracking down her cheeks, overwhelmed by the emotions coursing through her. By far the most overwhelming was the feeling of finally being _ seen _ by someone. The feeling of having worth in someone else’s eyes. Inuyasha had never been the best at that, and she’d always felt like he only saw her for her usefulness with the jewel. 

When Kouga’s face shut down and his hands began to slip from her shoulders, Kagome realized she hadn’t answered him. She quickly reached up and put her hands on his chest, fingers gripping the fabric to still him. “Yes!” she cried out, then blushed at the volume of her cry. “I’d like that,” she said, more softly this time. 

Kouga’s face lit up in a true smile, and Kagome’s heart skipped a beat at the happiness she saw in him at her agreement. When Kouga stepped into her space once more to draw her into a tight hug, Kagome returned the embrace and wondered at how _ right _ this felt. 

Neither of them noticed the curtains of the little blue house across the way being snatched back, and the angry face that began to fume and plot. 

........

~~~~~~~~

........

The next few weeks were nothing short of magical, and Kouga continued to do everything he could to make Kagome happy. He gave her flowers every time they went out, and he always had her favorite foods whenever she ate supper with them. He asked questions about her likes and dislikes, and took pains to remember her preferences. 

Kouga was the most attentive boyfriend she’d ever had. And Kagome knew that he wasn’t just trying to get on her good side - from her memories of the past, he had always tried to do the same then, but Inuyasha had always gotten in his way.

Kagome had learned more about the wolf tribe as well, and she loved getting more insight into who Kouga was as a youkai, not just as a person. His instincts seemed to guide everything he did, and she was beginning to see just how much that affected his day to day life. 

One day, a pack member called Kouga’s phone. Kagome could hear the distress in their voice as they outlined some problem to Kouga. Kouga’s entire body had slowly stiffened, almost vibrating with the need to _ move, _to act, to fix whatever was wrong. 

Kagome had even heard a small growl echo from his chest, and she had almost gone weak in the knees at the sound. 

Ultimately, Kouga had been able to simply talk the other wolf through their problem and had slowly loosened up until he was back to his usual self, even drawing a laugh from the pack member before they hung up. Kouga hadn’t wanted to talk much about it but had summarized to say that there had been a romantic issue with a human. 

Kagome laughed and leaned closer to him, placing a kiss on his cheek before saying slyly, “They can’t all have it as easy as you, huh?”

To her surprise, Kouga had blushed and mumbled an agreement, his usual bluster nowhere to be found. 

All in all, Kagome mused, he had been amazing. She felt like a normal girl, dating a not-so-normal boy, in a normal relationship. He had yet to meet her mom, but Kagome was working up to that. She knew that meeting the parents was a big deal, and she didn’t want to jinx the fledgling relationship they had going. 

As she got ready for the day - and another date with Kouga - her eyes were drawn to the fang necklace he had given her. On impulse, she put it on, feeling the heavy weight of the fang between her breasts. 

Before she left, she sought out her mother. Finding her at the shrine storehouse, Kagome wordlessly began to help unload the boxes her mom was working on. 

Biting her lip, Kagome tried to broach the subject. “Mom… I was wondering…”

When Kagome said nothing more, her mom turned to face her. Seeing Kagome’s conflicted face, she laughed. “Oh, Kagome, it can’t be that bad. Just say whatever it is.”

“I…you see…” Kagome took a deep breath and tried again. “I have a boyfriend and I want you to meet him!”

Mrs Higurashi blinked at the volume and speed at which her words had come out, but then she smiled. “Of course I would love to meet him,” she assured Kagome. “Find out what foods he likes and give me a day or so warning to prepare a meal.”

Relief flowed through Kagome, her body sagging slightly as a weight seemed to lift from her. “Thanks, Mama,” she said softly. 

“Of course, dear. Now help me put these away, will you?”

She was almost late to her date with Kouga, but it was worth it to know her mom was willing to meet him. 

........

~~~~~~~~

........

Shippo watched Kouga and Kagome’s courtship with barely-contained glee. He’d wanted her to be happy for so long, and while Inuyasha had made her happy at one point, it was now his name that brought her pain. Kouga’s name brought a smile to her face and a noticeable spike in her scent and heart rate, so of course Shippo brought him up as much as he could during their times together. 

While Kagome had been spending more time than ever with Kouga, she made sure not to leave her other friends out. While Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi were busy and unable to hang out much anymore, Kagome was sure to keep in contact with her childhood friends. And of course she made time for Ginta and Hakkaku, though the time spent with them was usually spent as a group of five in the wolves’ home. 

Now, though, was a day for just Shippo and Kagome. With Kagome’s arm linked in Shippo’s, they headed out. As they had lunch, did a little shopping, and made a stop by the grocery store, Kagome discovered she loved spending time with the kitsune in the modern era. She was immensely amused to discover that he still had a massive sweet tooth, with pocky still his favorite go-to snack. 

When they arrived back at Kouga’s, they were surprised to see Kouga’s car home. “I thought he was at work today,” she said to Shippo, who shrugged. 

They entered through the front door, and Kagome was nearly deafened by the shouts of _ Happy birthday! _

Her jaw dropped and she stared in confusion at the gathered people. Kouga, Ginta, and Hakkaku. Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi. Her mom, Souta, and even grandpa! (Though her grandfather was staring around him at the gathered youkai with suspicion).

Even a few of Kouga’s pack had come, and she recognized a few from their many encounters. They all greeted her by name, or by the familiar moniker that Ginta and Hakkaku had started back up. 

Tears welled in Kagome’s eyes and she buried her face in her hands. Kouga gave a little laugh and stepped forward to wrap his arms around her. “You okay?” he whispered in her ear.

She nodded, sniffling, and wrapped her arms around Kouga’s back. “Thank you,” she whispered back. She composed herself a bit and then turned to mock-glare at Shippo. “You lied to me!” she accused.

Shippo grinned, unrepentant, and said, “Sorry, I had to get you out of the house somehow.”

Kouga herded Kagome to their rarely-used dining room, where a cake was set up at the head of the table. “Your mom made it for you,” he said, “after I told her we were throwing you a party and invited all of them.”

Kagome pouted. “You met her without me,” she surmised.

“I wanted today to be special for you. And I knew you would want your family here.” Refusing to apologize, Kouga simply led her to the seat of honor and plopped a party hat on her head. 

Everyone gathered around as he lit the candles on the cake, singing her Happy Birthday and cheering when she blew the candles out. The cake was sliced and everyone began enjoying the delicious dessert, and Kouga leaned down to rest his chin on Kagome’s shoulder.

His breath was warm against her ear, sending shivers down her spine. “What did you wish for?” he asked. 

Kagome swallowed to wet her suddenly-dry mouth and throat, struggling to speak. “I can’t tell you,” she finally choked out. “Then it won’t come true.”

She felt his lips press against her cheek, and she gasped, automatically turning her face toward his in shock. When his lips brushed the corner of her mouth, time seemed to stand still. She froze, as did he, and the almost-kiss dragged on for an eternity. A loud noise in the kitchen broke the spell, and Kouga pulled back far enough to meet her eye.

Kagome didn’t know what to say. She’d never had such a visceral reaction to a kiss before - and it hadn’t even been a true kiss! Her heart had seemed to skip several beats, and flames had licked through her veins as heat bloomed low in her belly. Her lips still tingled where his had brushed against them.

Kouga stared down at her, her wide eyes and shocked expression, lips that she instinctively wet with a darting tongue, and he silently groaned as he inhaled and caught the barely-there scent of her arousal. 

The world around them disappeared, the noise fading to the background as they stared into each other’s eyes. Kouga felt himself leaning forward, slowly closing the distance between them. Kagome’s eyes darted to his lips before meeting his gaze once more, tilting her head just enough to make the angle less sharp. 

Kouga leaned ever closer, and Kagome’s breath began to ghost against his lips as he came closer. Just before his lips could brush against hers, though, silence came over the entire house. Kouga dismissed it until a new voice broke the silence.

“Kagome?”

........

~~~~~~~~

........

Kagome could barely hear over her own heart beating in her ears, but she heard the moment the new voice spoke. It carried the weight of a thousand memories, good and bad. Like a bucket of ice water, it ruined the soft moment she was having with Kouga. 

The gentle desire in her eyes turned to fear and pain, and Kouga wanted to snarl at the one who had effected such a change in her. Instead, he sighed and let his head tip forward to rest his forehead against Kagome’s. He whispered softly, “Later?”

Kagome took a deep, shuddering breath and nodded as best she could. Kouga put a hand on her shoulder and gently squeezed in a show of comfort before he stood and backed up a half step so Kagome could stand. 

Shippo appeared out of nowhere at her other side, his face set in a stoic mask as he took in the inu hanyou staring at Kagome in confusion.

Steeling herself, Kagome turned from Kouga and faced the man she had loved for so long. “Inuyasha.”

........

~~~~~~~~

........

An hour later, the guests had gone. They’d left fairly quickly once the yelling began, but Kagome had barely noticed. She’d been too busy doing the yelling. It had started out so calmly, too, she mused wryly. 

_ “Inuyasha. What are you doing here?” she asked as she stood. _

Unfortunately, that’s where it went downhill. Kagome winced as she remembered how Inuyasha’s face had turned red and a vein had popped out on his forehead, though he had seemed to be holding his composure. The breaking point, it seemed, was the sight of the fang necklace around her neck, which she had once more taken to wearing. 

_ “You’re wearing his fang?!” he demanded, his agitation causing his aura to spike. _

Kouga had stayed silent, and for that Kagome was grateful. Shippo, however, had not. 

_ “What’s going on, Inuyasha? Why are you back?” he asked, face still stoic. _

_ “What the fuck does it matter to you, runt?” Inuyasha snarled. _

Kagome had become angry then, and had quickly let Inuyasha know it. 

_ “Don’t you dare speak like that in front of my mom!” Kagome snapped, gesturing to the side where the humans had instinctively grouped together. She was relieved to see that Ginta and Hakkaku had posted up in front of them, ready to protect if things went downhill. _

Kagome’s mom had been staring between the two, unaware of the reason for the tension. Kagome hadn’t told her that Inuyasha had simply never bothered to try and find her in this time. 

_ Hidden by what Kagome assumed was a glamour similar to Kouga’s, she just knew Inuyasha’s ears had flattened to his head, but the anger hadn’t dissipated any. “Are you gonna answer me?” he’d asked heatedly. “Why are you wearing his fang?” _

_ Kagome scowled at him. “Because he gave it to me and I want to!” she snapped. _

From there it had devolved into a screaming match to rival all of their prior ones, combined. Her family and friends had been escorted out before too much had been said in front of them, but Kagome knew she would still have questions to answer later. Shippo had stayed by her side the whole time, as had Kouga - to Inuyasha’s ire. 

But Kouga had been totally adult about the whole thing, never rising to the bait that Inuyasha threw out. He had finally asked one question, something Kagome had been too afraid to ask.

_ “I don’t get it,” Kouga finally said. “You came back and forth with her so many times, surely you knew what year it was - or at least something close. Why did you never come looking for her after she got trapped back here?” _

Inuyasha hadn’t answered, had simply flattened his ears against his head and looked away. A moment later, he’d stormed out of the house. 

Kagome had sank onto Kouga’s couch and curled into herself, staring into space as she played through the fight over and over in her head. Distantly, she heard a gruff voice speaking to her. A moment later, she felt a hand on her arm as Kouga said her name a bit louder.

“Kagome?” he prompted. 

Shaking her head, Kagome drew her attention back to the present. She looked up at Kouga and gave him a semblance of a smile. “Sorry, what was that?”

“I was just making sure you were okay. You’ve been pretty much silent since he left.” Kouga sat down beside her, placing an arm around her shoulders and pulling her gently closer. 

Kagome automatically leaned into him and sighed. “I’m okay. That…wasn’t what I thought would happen.”

“I’m sorry,” he began, “I didn’t want your birthday to go like this.”

“It’s not your fault,” Kagome assured him. “It was really nice, before…” Her words trailed off and she flushed, thinking of their almost-kiss. 

Kouga grinned as he noticed her reddened cheeks. He looked around dramatically, then back to her. “You know…everybody else has left. I can give you my gift now,” he said with an over-done leer. 

Kagome laughed and shook her head. “You’re a mess,” she joked. 

“Well, I’m your mess,” he shot back, but he stiffened a moment later. “Sorry, habit.” He’d been really good about not speaking of the two of them like they were already a done deal, but that one had slipped.

It was on the tip of her tongue to brush it off, but Kagome paused and really thought about it. Ever since they’d reunited in the present, Kouga had been nothing but respectful and thoughtful and attentive, more so than Inuyasha could have ever dreamed. He’d been a rock for her when she needed it, and had helped her move forward and into the present, instead of holding onto the past. 

Turning to fully look at him, Kagome bit her lip and studied his face. “Close your eyes,” she said softly. 

Kouga raised a brow but did as she asked, twitching when he felt her hands gently lift the concealment charm from around his neck. He sighed as the magic fell away from him, allowing his true form to appear. Thin fingers brushed through his bangs and his ponytail, gently running over his ears. 

He heard her shifting beside him, and his ears twitched at the noise. A moment later he gasped, shock rolling through him as those fingers stroked through his tail. At the same time, soft lips pressed against his own. 

Kagome felt Kouga stiffen beside her and she hoped she wasn’t making a mistake. Then Kouga’s arms wrapped around her and she was suddenly swept across his lap and into a dipped position to deepen the kiss. Before they could take it too far, Kouga sat Kagome back upright and held her at arms’ length as he panted. 

“While I am incredibly up for whatever you want, I don’t think this is the right time,” he finally said. 

Kagome, a little out of breath herself, stared back at him for a long moment before she nodded her head. After a few more moments of level-headed thinking, she sat back and nodded again. “That’s probably for the best,” she admitted. “I… I probably need to talk to him.”

Kouga sighed and nodded. “I didn’t want to mention it that day, but his apartment is right below Sesshomaru’s. Want me to drive you?”

Kagome smiled and squeezed his hand, even as she rejected his offer. “I don’t think that would be a good idea. He’s already going to be upset.”

“That’s not on you, Kagome,” Kouga reminded her. “Don’t let him guilt trip you.”

“I won't,” she promised. “But I do want to get this over with.”

With one last lingering kiss, Kagome stood and headed for the door. 

........

~~~~~~~~

........

An hour later, she stood at the base of the penthouse building Kouga had pointed out so long ago. She looked up, unable to even see the top floor from her position. Swallowing tightly, she opened the door and walked inside. At the reception desk, she asked to see Inuyasha. 

After a hushed phone conversation, the woman waved her toward the elevator and instructed her which floor. 

The elevator ride lasted an eternity, but was over entirely too quickly. When it dinged and the doors opened, she took a deep breath and walked forward to knock on the only door there. 

The seconds ticked by until Kagome thought he wasn’t going to answer. Finally, the door unlocked and swung open. Inuyasha stood just inside, his head turned away as he refused to look at her. His hand gestured her inside, and she stepped hesitantly past him, distantly noting that his glamour was gone.

They walked silently to the living area, sinking onto plush couches and avoiding looking at each other. Finally, Kagome spoke.

“Your place is nice.”

Inuyasha snorted. “It’s Sesshomaru’s, he just lets me crash here.”

Kagome nodded, feeling the awkwardness like a haze in the air. She looked up and saw him scowling at the floor. Suddenly, she laughed. “This is ridiculous,” she said when he looked at her. “We’ve been friends for years, Inuyasha. Why is this so hard?”

“You tell me. You’re the one shacking up with that mangy wolf!” he accused hotly. 

Anger flared inside her, but Kagome was quick to tamp it down. She knew Inuyasha lashed out when he was hurting; this wasn’t a personal attack, no matter that it felt that way. “First of all, we’re dating, not shacking up. And secondly, Inuyasha, you knew at least a ballpark of what year it was when the well yanked me back here. But you never even looked for me. Shippo had to tell me you were in Europe.”

Ears flattened to his head, Inuyasha turned away again. “It’s complicated.”

Kagome narrowed her eyes. “So un-complicate it.” When he hesitated, Kagome added, “I waited for you. Every day after the well closed. For a month I barely left the well house. After that, I watched the shrine steps constantly, expecting you to come find me. But that never happened. And I was alone in an era I’d forgotten how to live in, without any of the friends and family I’d depended on for _ four years. _ When I saw Ginta that day, it was like a lifeline when I’d been drowning for so long. So you don’t get to be mad at me for trying to live my life and make a new normal after all that I’ve been through!”

Despite her attempt at restraint, Kagome’s voice was raised by the end of her spiel. She watched his ears flatten against the noise, but she couldn’t bring herself to feel bad about it. She deserved to air her grievances. 

But nothing could have prepared her for Inuyasha’s next words.

“He told me not to look for you!” he burst out, fangs flashing as he snarled the words. 

Eyes wide, Kagome stuttered, “W-what?”

Inuyasha worked a hand through his pale hair, visibly frustrated. “Sesshomaru! He came to me one day, a hundred years or so after the battle, and said that he had plans to live through the boom of humans, and if I wanted to join him I could. It was…okay, to begin with. He was a dick, but I think Rin had softened him up some. He started a business, gave me a job. But about fifty years ago, I started looking for you. Kept going to the shrine, waiting for your family to move in.”

When he paused, Kagome bit her lip hard, waiting impatiently for him to continue. 

“He found out, ripped me a new one, and told me that if I wanted to keep living under his goodwill and have a job with his company, I had to stop. Told me that I was the son of Inu no Taisho and I had to keep the line “as pure as possible, human mother notwithstanding.” I…I’m sorry, Kagome. I liked not struggling to find food or a warm place to sleep. So I agreed to stop looking. And I did. Until about ten years ago. I stopped by the shrine one last time, but he found out. Sent me to Europe to head up a new branch of the business. I’ve been there since. Until Ayame called me to tell me she saw you and Kouga outside her house, making out!”

Kagome sat back in her seat, disbelief flowing through her. Hard on the heels of disbelief was hurt. _ “I can’t believe...he let Sesshomaru manipulate him like that. He really just...didn’t even fight it.” _

The apartment was silent for a long time, until Kagome finally took a deep breath and looked hard at the hanyou. “I need some time to think about all this. I’m glad you’re alive, I’m glad you’re back, but I just can’t even be around you right now.” She stood to leave, but turned back at the doorway to the room. “I don’t want you to disappear again. You were my closest friend for four years, and we went through a lot together. I just…need some time, okay? I’ll have Shippo call you.”

Inuyasha nodded, his ears twitching as he heard her let herself out. Tears pricked his eyes and he held his face in his hands, trying to keep the tears from falling. As much as he wished he could go back in time and fix this, he knew he couldn't. He also knew, with absolute clarity, that he had finally lost Kagome for good. 

And to Kouga, no less. 

After a few minutes, he finally composed himself and ran a clawed hand through his hair. _ “Well,” _ he thought, _ “at least the mangy wolf will take care of her.” _

........

~~~~~~~~

........

Kagome walked slowly back to Kouga’s house. She needed time to really think about everything, to know in her heart what she wanted. She thought of the past year, spending time with Kouga and the others. And she remembered the times she’d spent with Inuyasha. 

By the time she reached Kouga’s door, she knew what she needed to do. 

Knocking, she was shocked to see Shippo’s face appear when the door swung open. 

“Oh, thank kami you’re back,” he said, visibly relieved. “After you left, he holed up in his room and hasn’t come out. I think he thinks you’re going to go back to Inuyasha.”

The worry she’d felt at first was gone in a split second, and Kagome rolled her eyes as she stepped inside and removed her shoes. “Thanks, Shippo. Let me go beat some sense into the second canine of the day.”

Shippo laughed and watched her head upstairs, then turned and headed back to the living room. “Guys, I have a feeling we may need to vacate. Kagome just got back and she’s headed to Kouga’s room.”

Ginta and Hakkaku looked up from the TV, shock on their faces. 

“She...came back?” Ginta asked. 

Hakkaku grinned. “I knew it!”

“Yeah, yeah, come on. You know humans are more conservative about private stuff. I have a feeling we may need to look into a place of our own, anyways.”

As the three headed for the door, they called up a soft goodbye to Kouga, knowing his sharp ears would pick it up. Locking the door behind them, they left Kouga and Kagome to themselves and hoped for the best. 

........

~~~~~~~~

........

Distantly, Kouga heard a knock on the front door. He’d been in his room since Kagome had left, preparing himself to let her go once she had a chance to speak to Inuyasha. 

It was just his luck, but he couldn’t begrudge Kagome her happiness. 

He was reclined on his bed, staring at the ceiling, when a soft knock sounded on his bedroom door and it immediately began to open. 

Kagome’s scent breezed into the room, and Kouga froze when it reached his nose. _ “She came back!” _ he thought to himself, heart leaping in his chest. 

Kagome peeked inside, smiling when she saw Kouga. She let herself in and closed the door behind her, leaning against it as they stared at one another. 

Finally, she crossed the room and sat beside him. “Shippo said you were worried I was going to stay gone.”

Kouga swallowed past the lump in his throat and shrugged. 

With a soft smile, she reached out and ran a hand through his hair. “Silly wolf,” she said. “Why would you think that?”

“Just…ahh…seemed to be my luck when it comes to you and him.” 

“Kouga,” she said softly, seriously, “I can’t imagine my life or my future without you anymore.” When his eyes widened at her words, Kagome continued. “I haven’t been able to picture Inuyasha by my side in…years, to be honest. Even at the end of my time in the past. I just didn’t want to admit it. But you… Kouga, you’ve become such an important part of my life _ now. _I don’t want to think about a future without you in it…by my side.”

Kouga sat upright, praying he was hearing her right. “Kagome?” he whispered, one hand reaching out to cup her face. When she nodded, he smiled widely and pulled her closer, finally - _ finally _ \- pressing his lips to hers in a mind-blowing kiss. 

Kagome found herself wishing they had crossed this bridge sooner, because Kouga’s kisses were on another level beyond anything she’d ever known. When his tongue brushed her bottom lip, all thoughts fled. Kagome’s breath hitched as she parted her lips and allowed Kouga’s tongue to brush against her own. 

A moan echoed from her throat as heat bloomed in her belly. Kouga detected the spike of arousal in her scent and growled deep in chest as his own desire increased exponentially. He wrapped his arms around Kagome and swept her to the side, laying her gently on the bed beside him as he leaned over her. 

Propped on one arm, he held her face with other, tilting her jaw at just the right angle to perfect their kiss. Kagome’s hands trailed across his shoulders and down his arms, then back up again. One hand went to his back, fingers tracing the well-defined lines of muscle and bone.

As she grew more comfortable with their contact and more daring in her touches, that hand began to drift further and further down, until she finally grazed the base of his tail with her dainty fingertips. She froze as a loud rumble began in Kouga’s chest. 

As for Kouga, it was all he could do to hold back the pressing instincts that raged at him when Kagome touched him like this. Her hand touching his tail again? That was almost Game Over. Shuddering as he forced himself to keep a clear head, Kouga began trailing kisses over her face and down to her ear. 

“Baby, you can’t do that if there’s gonna be any chance of us stopping. I’m hanging on by a thread already.”

Kagome took a deep breath, suddenly completely sure of what she wanted. Using their positions to her advantage, she ran her fingers through Kouga’s tail again as she licked the tip of his ear and whispered, “Then let go.”

Kouga saw red for a split second, the baser wolf inside him roaring to the forefront of his mind, before he wrenched control back. During that split second, he had moved to loom over Kagome, arms caging her in as his knees pressed tightly to the outsides of her thighs. 

While she was taken a bit aback by how quickly he’d moved, Kagome was far from concerned about Kouga’s action. To the contrary, she felt another burst of arousal and pressed her thighs tightly together as she felt herself grow wet. She watched Kouga’s nostrils flare as he took in the scent, feeling a bit embarrassed at how explicitly he would know she was turned on, but the expression of awe that crossed his face helped her push the embarrassment aside. 

When he scented her increased arousal, Kouga felt like he’d died and gone to heaven. He was absolutely awestruck that he was the one Kagome felt this for. He’d feared for so long that his feelings for her meant nothing and she would always run to the hanyou. That she wanted _ him _ like this was more than he could have ever dreamed. 

But, he thought with a growl, he wasn’t going to question it. She had chosen him, and he was going to make sure she never regretted it. 

Beginning with this.

Resolved to show her how thankful he was, he leaned down to kiss her once more. Just as she began to respond, he left her lips to trail down to her neck, pressing kisses to the soft skin there. At the junction of her neck and shoulder, where he would mark her as a mate, if she allowed him one day, he gently bit down to see how she would react. 

He was rewarded with a loud moan and her fingernails digging into his shoulders through his thin shirt. He pulled back and stared down at her with his cocky grin, one fang showcased by the jaunty slant of his mouth. 

Eyes wide and wild, Kagome suddenly reared up and pressed her lips to his, tongue tracing that fang and catching on the sharp tip. As her blood reached his tongue, they both groaned and felt a wildness wash over them. 

Before they knew it, they were both naked and panting, lying on their sides and facing each other. Kouga had one hand on Kagome’s hip, drawing circles and occasionally gently squeezing the flesh there. Kagome had a hand on Kouga’s chest, fingers dragging through his chest hair and sometimes bravely ghosting over a nipple. 

It was difficult not to hide herself away, but Kagome was more excited than self-conscious. She glanced down Kouga’s body and blushed at the sight of just how _ excited _ Kouga was. He grinned at the redness on her cheeks, his hand on her hip dipping backward to grasp her butt and pull her closer to him. 

Their flesh touched and Kagome gasped at the heat Kouga was putting off, as well as the first touch of his erection against the soft skin of her belly. Kouga leaned down to once more give attention to her neck, his voice rumbling across her skin and to her ear as he growled, “You’re so beautiful.”

Kagome moaned and arched her back, one hand trailing up to wind into Kouga’s hair. She tugged lightly, and Kouga retaliated by nipping at her neck. He began to make his way down to her chest, paying attention to her collarbones as he made his way down to her breasts. 

When his heated mouth closed over her nipple and his tongue began to torment the hardening flesh, Kagome moaned and tossed her head. Her legs shifted unconsciously before they finally fell apart, helped along by Kouga’s large hand pressing against her knee. Distracted by his ministrations to her breast, she was barely aware of his fingers trailing up her thigh and coming to rest on her lower belly before slowly teasing down across her mons.

When his fingertip brushed her clit, Kagome jolted, her eyes flying wide open. Kouga felt his shaft pulse in need as he realized just how sensitive she was. Before she could protest, Kouga had gently nudged her to lay flat and went back to nuzzling and teasing her breasts, now swapping between the two. His other hand continued to rub at her clit, loving how the sensations made her squirm and moan under him. 

Slowly, Kouga began to kiss down her torso, his hair falling to the side to brush against her skin, adding another sensation for her poor, overwhelmed body. When Kouga reached her hipbones and continued south, Kagome suddenly understood his intentions. She tried to protest, modesty rearing its head, but Kouga’s hand moved between her thighs and her protests were interrupted by a loud moan. 

That moan turned into a screech as Kouga’s tongue replaced his hand. His strong hands held her hips still as she thrashed at the foreign sensation. After a few moments, Kagome grew used to Kouga’s tongue in such an intimate place, and she let go, losing herself to the pleasure. 

Her moan became a melodious thing, rising and falling in cadence in relation to Kouga’s ministrations. When his tongue darted into her body, pushing deeply inside, Kagome cried out, knees slamming closed and trapping Kouga’s head. 

He let out a grating laugh, moving back to nose at her clit before gently nipping at the sensitive bud. Leaving one hand to hold her hips still, the other slid out from under her thigh and between her legs to join his mouth, one finger slipping slowly inside her to help prepare her for what was to come. When her inner muscles clenched around his intruding digit, Kouga groaned and began to mouth at her with more gusto, unsure how much longer he could wait. 

By the time he had worked three of his thick fingers inside her, Kagome was a panting, sweating, almost-sobbing mess. When he finally backed away from her, she was soaking wet and dripping onto the bed beneath them. 

However, when Kouga made to move over her, Kagome came alive. She pushed at his shoulders, all but shoving him to his back as she moved to straddle him. When he took in the crazed glint to her eyes, he wondered if maybe he shouldn’t have teased her so much. 

Kagome sat astride Kouga, her heated pussy cradling the hardness of his erection, and tried to catch her breath. He’d taken her to the edge so many times, but had never let her fall over the precipice of her release. A wicked grin tugged at her lips, and she resolved to do the same to him. Leaning down, she kissed him, her tongue darting between his lips to tangle with his own, even as her hips began to rock. The wetness he had coaxed from her made for a smooth glide over his cock, and they both moaned at the pleasure her motion caused. 

Before she could get too carried away, Kagome ended the kiss and began to trail down his neck and torso, as he had done to her. She teased at his nipples but didn’t stay there long. Instead, she continued to move down his body, stopping to lick and nibble at his hipbones before ending up between his legs, staring at his intimidating length and girth. 

Kouga swallowed tightly, hands clenched into fists at his sides. When Kagome licked her lips, staring at him with abject hunger on her face, his erection jerked and bobbed. As if that were some unspoken sign, Kagome reached forward to grasp the base of his erection with one hand while aiming the tip of it at her mouth. She licked the very tip experimentally, unsure what to expect of the taste. 

She couldn’t really put a name to the taste of his cock or the pre-come that welled from the slit at the top, but it wasn’t unpleasant. Curiosity appeased, she began in earnest. She licked a stripe up the underside of Kouga’s cock, and when she reached the tip, she opened her lips and sank onto the length as far as she could. 

While she didn’t have practical experience with this, she did have three girlfriends who could get explicit in their recounting of sexcapades with their boyfriends. Kagome drew on everything she could remember of what her friends said those men had liked, making notes of what seemed to affect Kouga. 

For his part, Kouga was in purgatory - neither heaven nor hell. Kagome’s hot, wet mouth around his shaft was the best kind of torture, and he was torn between wanting her to continue forever or pushing her away so he could finally sink inside her. 

Kagome didn’t give him the chance to decide, determined to drive him to the brink of sanity. As she worked her mouth up and down his shaft, she used her hand to grasp the base, using her tongue on every upstroke to tease and stimulate the head of his cock. Slowly but surely, Kagome worked her way further and further down Kouga’s shaft, trying to fit the whole length of it inside her mouth. 

Kouga felt Kagome’s throat close around the head of his cock and groaned, using every bit of willpower in his body not to jerk his hips. When Kagome moaned around him, Kouga went cross-eyes and cried out, quickly changing their positions and pressing Kagome into the mattress as he nudged her thighs apart and settled between them.

“Kagome, please tell me now if you want to stop,” Kouga growled as he stared heatedly down at her. 

Kagome smiled and shifted her hips until Kouga was lined up almost perfectly. “I’m not going to change my mind, Kouga,” she said softly. “Make me yours.”

Kouga growled deep in his chest as he swooped down for a mind-blowing kiss. One hand reached down to test Kagome’s wetness before grasping his cock and running it over the wetness seeping from her opening. Once he’d become sufficiently coated to keep from causing her pain, Kouga pressed his cock against her, slowly pressing inside. 

Kagome moaned as he slowly filled her, her nails digging into his back as he fully hilted himself within her. Thankfully, he paused for a few moments to give her a chance to adjust to the new sensations. “Ohhhh,” she moaned. 

Panting, Kouga grinned and tried to keep still. While he was mostly thinking of Kagome’s comfort, he also knew that if he moved too soon, he wouldn’t have much chance to show her how great of a lover he could be. 

Finally, Kagome wiggled her hips and tested the feeling of having him inside her. Nodding at Kouga’s questioning look, she gasped when he pulled back and pressed back in, sending lightning through her veins. 

She moaned again, louder this time, as Kouga began to move in earnest. His lips pressed to hers in a fiery kiss, he began to move faster and harder, needing more of her. “Shit, Kagome,” he moaned. “I don’t…want to…mark you. Unless - oh, _ fuck _ \- you agree.”

“Kouga!” Kagome cried out, his words combined with his movements sending her ever closer to her release. “I want… I want… Ohhh, I want you, forever.”

Her words seemed to unleash a part of Kouga he’d held back so far. His fangs and claws lengthened, his ears becoming more pointed, and his eyes became tinged in red. “Touch yourself,” he rasped. When she wasn’t fast enough, Kouga reached behind him and snatched her hand from his back, forcing it between them. 

At the first touch of her fingertips to her own clit, Kagome jolted. Closer and closer, her orgasm loomed. When her moans began to come quicker and louder, Kouga nudged her jaw with his nose, turning her face to the side. He licked her neck in preparation, murmuring to her. “It’s going to hurt,” he warned. 

“Do it,” Kagome moaned, pleading with him as her fingers rubbed her clit faster. 

Just the thought of marking Kagome as his own had Kouga at the very edge, and knowing she wanted this as much as he did made it that much more so. With one last kiss, Kouga slammed his hips into Kagome’s, forcing his cock as deeply into her willing body as it would go as he began to come. 

With a roar, Kouga sank his teeth into Kagome’s neck. With his fangs and his cock buried in her body, Kouga leached some of his power into her, tying their souls together. 

To his utter surprise, Kagome bit his shoulder, as close to where Kouga had bitten her as she could reach. Biting hard with her human teeth, she broke the skin as best she could and allowed some of her own power to sink into the wound. 

Kouga cried out in shock and pleasure as Kagome finished the mating bond. His cock pulsed as her inner walls clenched tightly around him, drawing more seed from his body and into hers. 

After a few moments, Kouga pulled his fangs from her neck and looked down at her. Kagome panted and stared up at him. Blood tinged her lips, and Kouga felt another rush of lust at the sight. He felt himself hardening within her once more, and Kagome moaned at the feeling. 

He grinned cockily down at her and shifted his hips. “Okay?”

Kagome stretched lightly and wrapped her legs around Kouga’s hips, pulling him tightly against her. “More than okay,” she promised. 

More leisurely this time, Kouga moved within her, drawing back slowly and pressing back inside slowly but forcefully. Kagome moaned and reached back to brace her arms against the headboard. Sensing that she wanted more, Kouga leaned up until he was kneeling, grasping both of Kagome’s hips and pulling them up and closer to him. Holding them still for every thrust, Kouga’s hips slammed into her with more force than before. 

“Oh, kami, Kouga. I love you!” Kagome cried out.

Kouga’s hips stuttered, eyes wide as his heart skipped a beat. “W-what?”

Kagome looked at Kouga, meeting his gaze evenly. “I love you,” she repeated.

Eyes burning with emotion, Kouga slid one hand behind Kagome’s head and leaned down to kiss her. “I love you, too.” Leaning over her and pressing his forehead to hers, Kouga took a breath before he began to fuck her once more. Unable to stop himself, he repeated it over and over. 

“I love you, I love you, I love you.”

Kagome wrapped her arms around Kouga’s back, holding on as he continued the motions of his hips. He let himself collapse on top of her slightly as he wrapped his arms around her, keeping her in place as he increased his speed. 

“I love you,” Kagome whispered. Her hand drifted between them, rubbing her clit furiously as she chased her release. 

Kouga felt her walls begin to flutter around him. He panted as he fought to hold off his own release until she came again. “Come on, baby. Come for me.”

Kagome moaned and clenched tightly around Kouga as his words seemed to be a catalyst for her release. She cried out as she felt him release inside her. 

They lay, breathing hard, for long minutes as their hearts slowly returned to a normal pace. Finally, worried he was crushing her, Kouga rolled them to the side and held her close. He ran a hand up and down her back, marveling at how soft her skin was. 

Eventually, his softening penis slipped out of her, and Kagome hissed at the odd feeling. “Sorry,” he apologized. 

“Just…a weird feeling,” Kagome explained. Feeling a sudden chill in the air, she shivered. 

“Do you want a blanket or a shower?” he asked. 

“Hmmm, blanket first. Maybe a shower in a while,” she murmured with a sleepy smile. 

Kouga reached down to the foot of the bed and grabbed the blanket there, tugging it over the two of them. Kagome snuggled in close, resting her head on Kouga’s chest. 

“Did you mean it?” he asked a few moments later. The questioned was quiet, hesitant, as though he didn’t want to know the answer.

Kouga’s head jerked up as she immediately met his gaze. “Kouga, of course I did!” she exclaimed. “I would never lie about that!”

Kouga nodded, unable to speak right away. “I just…wanted to make sure,” he said sheepishly. 

Kagome settled back against him and spoke softly. “You’ve been here for me this whole time, in whatever way I needed. You gave me space when I needed it, and distracted me when I was stuck in my own head. You’ve made me laugh and dried my tears, made me feel like a normal girl again. I always liked you, to be honest,” she admitted, “but I was too hung up on Inuyasha to give it much thought. But now, I’ve been able to fall in love with you where I never had the chance before.”

“You liked me?” Kouga asked incredulously. 

Kagome laughed. “All that, and that’s your takeaway?”

Kouga kissed the top of her head and squeezed her gently. “I’m a man of simple needs,” he joked. 

A yawn took her by surprise, and Kagome let her eyes drift closed. “Well, I am a woman who needs sleep. You exhausted me.”

Kouga grinned lecherously and reached down to pat her butt. “I’ll be happy to do so any time.”

Rolling her eyes, Kagome settled in and wrapped an arm around Kouga’s waist. Content, warm, and sated, she fell easily into a deep sleep. 

Kouga was slower to fall asleep, but he did so with one last kiss to the mating mark on her neck, instincts satisfied and body worn out. 

........

~~~~~~~~

........

**ONE YEAR LATER**

Kagome looked out at the gathered crowd, smiling faces cheering as she stepped forward with her husband. She glanced back, and Kouga’s happy face stared back at her. Dressed in traditional Shinto wedding garb, they made quite a picture. Kouga was dashing in his _ montsuki, _ and Kagome had opted for the traditional _ shiro-muku _ kimono instead of a colored one. 

Honestly, Kagome mused, she felt quite comfortable in the old-fashioned clothing. 

That morning, when her mother had been fixing her hair, she had mentioned tearfully how proud Kagome’s father would be of her. Kagome was glad they hadn’t made it to the makeup yet, because the next few minutes had been spent in a huddled, sobbing mess before they’d composed themselves and finished with their hair and makeup. 

Kouga had given her the small _ kaiken _ she had tucked into her obi, during the small engagement ceremony they’d had. Her grandfather had dug through the attic and found the fan that his wife - and eventually his daughter in law - had carried at their wedding. There were half a dozen other small, traditional items or customs that had been handed down from her mom, and Kagome would always hold them close to her heart. 

As she made her way through the crowd, she mused on the changes the last year had wrought. 

After their night together, the night they’d become mates by youkai standards, Kagome had expected things to go, more or less, back to normal. 

Kouga had shocked her when he assumed she was going to move in with him, and he’d been offended that she hadn’t wanted to just yet. It had taken a long conversation about human customs and traditions for him to realize how important a wedding ceremony was to her, as well as having her family’s approval for said wedding. 

Her mother had agreed immediately, having seen how happy Kouga made her. Souta had followed suit, but he was still disappointed that Kouga didn’t have the youkai features that he’d grown used to seeing with Inuyasha. Grandpa had been the hardest to convince, as he’d known off the bat that Kouga was less - or more, technically - than human. Kagome had explained how happy she was with him, that is was already a done deal, and that only he was holding them back from true happiness.

Eventually, he had given in. In fact, he had been the one to perform their marriage ceremony. 

Kouga had asked Kagome to marry him the week after her grandfather had given his blessing, and Kagome had accepted with no hesitation. 

Now, joined by human and youkai custom, they walked hand in hand to the shrine steps, where a car waited by the road to take them on their honeymoon, as they had opted for a more Western custom instead of the traditional reception dinner. Kagome glanced up at Kouga, wishing he would tell her where they were going for said honeymoon. 

As she made her way down the path, Kagome noticed familiar faces in the crowd. Her mom and brother, smiling widely at her. Her grandfather, scowling, but the corners of his mouth kept twitching as he forced the smile away. Kagome gasped when she thought she saw Sango and Miroku at the edge of the crowd, their forms shimmering and pale. Sango smiled widely at her, and Miroku placed a hand on his chest and bowed his head, before they both disappeared. 

Blinking tears away, she felt warmth spread through her, knowing her friends approved of her choice.

All of her friends.

Almost to the edge of the crowd, she caught sight of Inuyasha. He stood with a youkai woman that he claimed Sesshomaru had set him up with, but Kagome had seen the blush on his face when he spoke of her. Over the past year, the two of them had come to terms with their shared past and had moved forward, able to be friends once more. Once Inuyasha had seen how Kouga treated her, how happy he made her, he had been a lot less hurt. 

Now, standing with the unknown youkai, he seemed happier and less bitter, too. 

Kagome nodded at him, her closest friend. Smiling softly, he nodded back. 

As they got into the car and headed off on their honeymoon, Kagome linked hands with Kouga. “Thank you,” she said softly. 

“For what?” he questioned, looking down at her.

“For loving me. For waiting for me.”

Touched, Kouga leaned down and kissed her gently. A moment later, he leered at her. “Just wait ‘til we get to the hotel. Then I’ll show you some lovin’.”

Kagome laughed at his mostly-joking innuendo, but she saw Kouga grow serious a moment later. 

“And as for waiting,” he began, then shrugged. “I would have waited forever for you.”


End file.
